Distance Learning

Before Your Distance Learning Course Begins

A Check List for Students

A To Do List - Before My Distance Class Begins

You have registered for a Distance Learning Course and want to know how it will
work? First, please remember that your course will be using electronic technology and
will not meet on a certain day and time at a certain location. Before the course
begins you will need to:

Contact your instructor using e-mail to let him/her know you have registered
for xyz course

Request an copy of the course syllabus from instructor

The course syllabus will be sent to you through OLC's e-mail system

Remember - your distance learning course will begin the first week of classes
and will have weekly assignments

Login into the course site if your course will be meeting on Moodle

Read and become familiar with the information located in the course site

Do the "Before the Course Begins" assignments

Purchase a copy of the course textbook

Read and review each of the links at the bottom of this page

A Check List for Instructors and Advisers

A Month Before Classes Begin

Prepare an announcement to each of your students that includes your
e-mail address, biography and an initial class announcement

Two Weeks Before the Class Begins

A detailed course syllabus

Includes contact information, course goals and objectives, required textbook and
course materials, grading criteria, a brief listing of project assignments, a course
schedule of assignments and due dates.

An introduction to the course

A list of acceptable file types with naming conventions

The first week's content and activities

The first weeks online meetings such as synchronous meetings, Instructor and
students introductions, etc.

Ref: Expectations for Classroom Setup and Online Teaching, University of Maryland
University College
http://www.umuc.edu/distance/odell/ctla/expectations/index.shtml

A Check List for College Center Staff

As College Center Staff you have advised and registered a students. Take a few
extra minutes and help each student to understand how Jenzabar, TuxedoMail and Moodle
works? Before the semester begins you will need to:

Have a list of instructors with each their contact
information and give to each student

Advise each to student to contact their instructor using e-mail to let
him/her know they have registered for xyz course as soon as they have registered for the
course.

Remind the student to check their OLC e-mail each day. This will be
crucial to their success in the course

Remind the student to check their assignments daily and submit their
assignments through out each week. Assignments may be due several days each
week.

Request an copy of the course syllabus from instructor

Advise each student that preparation BEFORE the first week of classes is
very important

Have the student work through the list of things to do in the Student section
above

Provide for and advertise training sessions on TuxedoMail and Moodle before the
first week of classes